Grateful, grateful, grateful!!! That's how I'm feeling today. I am SO very grateful for SO many things. Grateful to have had some days to reflect on those very things this week as we have celebrated Thanksgiving here in the US of A. I have actually had TWO Thanksgivings this week (the traditional one with extended family on Thursday, and one with my immediate family and a very good friend today ... now WE have turkey leftovers!! YAY!!). Also, I am VERY grateful to be part of this creative, talented, remarkable, kind, lovely and wonderful group of friends on this blog hop ... grateful for my connection to them through Stampin' Up ... do NOT know what my life would be like without them all in it!

Jingle Bells and Ho! Ho! Ho!! After spending nearly 24 hours cooking, cleaning and getting ready to feed the troops, I FINALLY got to sit down and play (and I am embarrassed to say that the last few cards I have made look so much alike!!! I need to break out of the mold!)

Stamps: Holly Berry Happiness, Merriest Wishes
Paper: Whisper White, Neutrals DSP Stack, Warmth & Cheer DSP Stack
Ink: Cherry Cobbler, Garden Green
Accessories: Merry Tags Framelits, Stitched Shapes Framelits, Cableknit Textured Impressions Embossing Folder, Baker's Twine Trio Pack, Warmth & Cheer Designer Washi Tape

It's snowing. And I have put up my mama's Christmas tree and decorations, done most of my Christmas shopping (SO grateful for online shopping and Black Friday Deals), plan to put up my own tree tomorrow, and bought myself some SNOWSHOES so I can do some AMAZING hiking with my good friend, Beck!!! I was introduced to snowshoeing last year with Beck's help ... and now I am ADDICTED!!

Click "Back" for Melissa Stout and "Next" for Amy O'Neill ... super duper FANTASTIC!!!

Happy Black Fab Friday!!! Bwahahaha!!! For all my friends in the US ... who is STILL FULL from yesterday??? I went to bed SO stuffed (and we ate dinner at 3:00!!). I'm still feeling the effects of eating ALLTHETHINGS!! But I need to get moving so I can speed my metabolism up for ONLINE SHOPPING!!

Happy that Fab Friday MADE me play with some of my lovely Christmas-y crafty supplies. I LOVE that this card is BLACK ... and today is BLACK Friday ... and it's a CHRISTMAS card!! YAY ME!!

Stamps: Merriest Wishes
Paper: Crumb Cake, Basic Black, Garden Green, Delightful Dijon, Early Espresso, Warmth & Cheer DSP,
Accessories: Merry Tags Framelits Dies, Gold Sequin Trim, Gold Baker's Twine, Mini Stapler, Real Red 3/4" Stitched Edge Ribbon
Ink: Cherry Cobbler










Basic, simple, easy, fun!!











Here's a link to the Fab Friday Challenge Blog so you can play along:

Fab Friday Challenge Blog

Check out the Fab blogs of my fellow Fab Friends:

Mindy Backes
Cindy Beach
Heather Heroldt
Brian King
Amy Koenders
Justin Krieger
Amanda Mertz
Brenda Myers
Jan Tinklenberg

Since it's Black Friday, I plan to sit in front of my computer and SHOP ... in my SWEATS ... with NO makeup on!! HOORAY!!

Ok ... I hafta admit, I have actually started listening to Christmas music (and will probably do so until some time during the first week of January). I EVEN did some CHRISTMAS SHOPPING today!!! I guess it really IS the most wonderful time of the year ALREADY!!! Welcome to a little holiday tribute by some of my fellow Control Freaks!

Oh my goodness!!! Did you see what was on Mindy Backes' blog????? SO wonderful!!! And so very proud of her, by the way, for making this next year's Artisan Design Team for Stampin' Up! GO MINDY!!

I went simple this month ... which is VERY hard for me, actually. I think it is much harder to do a "clean and simple" design than it is to do one with ALL the layers and bling (sometimes I SERIOUSLY have NO idea when to STOP!)!

Stamps: Holly Berry Happiness
Paper: Whisper White, Cherry Cobbler, Dazzling Diamonds DSP
Ink: Cherry Cobbler
Accessories: Merry Tags Framelits Dies, Gold Bakers Twine, Project Life Cards & Labels Framelits, Woodland Textured Impressions Embossing Folder

And here's a little Crumb-Cake-colored number ... I think I have decided that Crumb Cake goes with EVERY-EVERY-EVERYthing!!! I used it ALL year round. It's probably my fave ... I think ...

Stamps: Merry Medley, Festive Season
Paper: Crumb Cake, Soft Suede, Warmth & Cheer DSP Stack
Ink: Whisper White
Accessories: 1 1/4" Circle Punch, Gold Ribbon, Gold Sequin Trim, Project Life Corner Rounder Punch

It's AMAZING how your life can come to a STAND STILL when your internet becomes NONFUNCTIONAL!!! Our modem died last night, and you would think that the WORLD had ended or something!!! Had NO idea how much I relied on having WORKING access to the Interwebz ... how CRAZY!!! Maybe I need to take a vacation on some remote island and do WITHOUT it for a while ... just like the good ol' days!!

Next up??? My dear and talented friend, Cindy Elam!!! WONDERFUL in EVERY way!!

Snap!!! And JUST like THAT two weeks have flown by!!! Welcome to Monday Montage, my friends!!! I've been UBER-SUPER busy the last couple of weeks ... more on that in a few paragraphs ... but for now, it's time to share!

Stitched Shapes Framelits???? Why, YES INDEED-Y!!! These are the caYOOTEST things EVER!!! I challenged myself by trying to make a grown-up "dude" kinda card (you know how THAT is)!! I'm pretty happy with the results, but have to admit that it was VERY hard not adding flowers or a butterfly or something!

Stamps: Teeny Tiny Wishes
Paper: Whisper White Crumb Cake, Soft Sky, Island Indigo, Night of Navy, Dapper Denim, Neutrals DSP
Ink: Night of Navy
Accessories: Stitched Shapes Framelits, Project Life Corner Rounder Punch, Large Dots Textured Impressions Embossing Folder, Mini Treat Bag Thinlits (for sentiment)

So .... I decided to start ANOTHER "new business" for myself (I'm always looking for ways to earn extra income by doing something FUN (but I hate to admit that I am my own best SU customer!). I launched my own LuLaRoe clothing page on Facebook last night (which is why my darn post is so darn late!)!!! I had bought so many of the clothes myself that I figured it wouldn't hurt to try to sell some (sound familiar with stamps and paper???). AND I went to Disneyland (again!) this week to run the Captain America 5K with some of my friends. It was a REALLY good time!

Click "Back" for Melissa Stout and "Next" for Bree Renwick ... so very lucky to be "linked" to these friends!